Artificial Intelligence is now reshaping humanity’s oldest emotion — grief. What began as a tool to preserve memories through photos and recordings has evolved into a powerful new industry: the digital afterlife.
Across the world, people are using AI to “recreate” their lost loved ones — producing realistic videos, voices, and even conversations that appear to bring the dead back to life.
In Russia, a project known as Final Meeting allows families of soldiers killed in the war in Ukraine to generate short AI videos of their final goodbyes. In China, tech firms such as Silicon Intelligence offer commercial “resurrection services,” turning a single image into an interactive talking avatar.
The trend has reached politics and courtrooms too. In India, AI was used to digitally re-create the late Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi for public memorials. In the U.S., an AI version of a slain veteran appeared in court to address his killer’s sentencing.
But critics warn that the technology may blur the line between remembrance and illusion. Psychologists describe it as a “perfect false-memory machine,” while actress Zelda Williams has condemned AI imitations of her late father Robin Williams as “monstrous.”
Despite concerns, the digital afterlife industry continues to grow — forecast to exceed $80 billion globally by 2035. Supporters say it offers closure; opponents fear it traps people in endless grief. Either way, AI is ensuring that death itself may never be final again.
